Chance to see inside old prison

The jail on Victoria Road was opened in 1891

The Isle of Man's old prison is opening its doors to the public to give people a guided tour of the Douglas jail.

The 117-year-old jail was vacated last month when inmates and staff relocated to the new prison facility at Jurby.

The jail tours will include a visit to various wings and cells as well as the search room and segregation unit.

Places for the 90-minute tours, which run daily from 27 September to 12 October, are limited. Anyone interested in a tour should phone 01624 678686.

The tours will be conducted by former acting prison governor Tony Hawkes, who retired in June last year after 34 years of service at the Victoria Road jail.

The decision to throw open the old jail to the public follows a similar successful venture in March where islanders were given the chance to take a peek inside the new �41.7m jail at Jurby.

'Fantastic opportunity'

All 2,400 places were snapped up within a week, with hundreds of unsuccessful applicants adding their name to a reserve list in case anyone dropped out.

Adrian Earnshaw MHK, Minister for Home Affairs, said: "Victoria Road will soon be consigned to a place in the history books so these tours are a fantastic opportunity to see inside the prison that served the Island for more than a century.

Prison staff and inmates moved to the new jail in August

"The building boasts a rich and fascinating history and I'm sure that former governor Hawkes will bring those stories to life in an entertaining and informative manner."

The tours are not suitable for children under the age of 10 and those aged 11-16 must be accompanied by an adult.

A lot of walking and climbing of stairs will be involved and the visits are not recommended for anybody with a physical impairment or health problem.

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